Infrastructure Policy, Planning, and Consent Report

This report delves into the significance of spatial planning within the context of infrastructure policy, planning, and consent processes. It begins by defining spatial planning as the methodologies used to influence the arrangement of individuals and activities in areas, emphasizing its role in optimizing infrastructure and land use. The report then explores the relevance of spatial planning in infrastructure decision-making, highlighting how it aids in anticipating future needs, controlling land use, and considering cost-effectiveness. It discusses how spatial planning provides crucial knowledge for infrastructure projects, including the identification of infrastructure needs, population growth estimations, and economic changes. The report concludes by underscoring the importance of spatial planning in ensuring controlled, sustainable development, particularly in the context of rapidly growing urban areas. The report references several academic sources to support its arguments.

INFRASTRUCTURE POLICY, PLANNING AND CONSENT
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Contents
Question 1........................................................................................................................................3
Question 2........................................................................................................................................4
References........................................................................................................................................6

Question 1

What is spatial planning (20% word)
Spatial planning is a definition of ways and methodologies utilized by both public and private to
impact the general arrangement of individuals and events in areas of assorted levels on the
surface of the earth. Spatial planning is often outlined as the combination of practices and
policies that create an impact on spatial organization. It is substitutable with urban design
processes which tend to push the effectiveness and productiveness of a community’s
infrastructure and land use to the optimum level. Spatial planning takes place locally, regionally,
nationally and inter-nationally and regularly leads to the establishment of a plan that impacts the
general distribution of activities and individuals.
Planning mechanisms control our proximity to social amenities, public amenities, sewerage and
roads. It also plays a principal role in deciding the standard of our surroundings and our goals for
social and financial growth together with assurance of security to societies and individuals.
There are numerous planning systems around the globe. The nature of planning adopted mostly
diverges and develops alongside people and the regulatory systems that exist in such territories.
Each country has a distinct planning approach that is composed of totally dissimilar players,
totally different perspectives and a specific and established structure.
Question 2
Relevance of spatial planning on infrastructure decision making
Infrastructure decision making process refers to all the principals that are considered before
starting a project.

These processes include; quantification of infrastructure problems and opportunities while
projecting the long-term planning processes like changes in technology, regulatory and market
developments that may likely impact infrastructure services in future. Spatial planning enables
this decision by trying to foresee into a future that satisfies ambitious objectives and to bring this
future through the control of land use and the structures placed on it (Williams, 2017).
Cost decisions in infrastructure are also concludes in spatial planning
In the current world decentralization of governments and delegation of duties to local authorities
has been experienced widely in an attempt to improve the quality of services provided to
residents. All this is done in fulfilment of a common goal of trying to reduce poverty and to
improve local economic growth.
Infrastructure decision making is greatly influenced by the extent of knowledge and research on
the intended project. Spatial planning enables this by providing knowledge from more than one
discipline that is used for generating land-use management policies and for devising
infrastructural systems. The issues of transport and accessibility infrastructure, waste
management, scarce resources have to be addressed within a land-use management system for
sustainable development.
During decision making of infrastructure, the need to deliver the necessary infrastructure to
specific regions efficiently and affordably is a crucial step. Spatial planning is relevant in ths
decision making process by giving limelight on the kind, size, location and timing of an
infrastructure project. The kind of an infrastructural project refers to the nature of the project.
Spatial planning can do this by identifying where elements of infrastructure in a town or city are

already located and how they spatially relate to the users thus identifying weaknesses in physical
coverage of the service they provide and the projected costs of setting up of new infrastructures.
Spatial planning helps to estimate population growth which is essential in future resource and
infrastructure planning by ensuring that there is a meaningful engagement with the local
people/stakeholders at each stage, from problem identification and option development to project
delivery. It’s capable of fulfilling this by first assembling any existing data about the population
of an area from the relevant authorities and sources (Pier Carlo Palermo, 2010). Information can
be obtained for a given range of period of time in order to ascertain the speed of change. One
uses the available population figures for the chosen dates to calculate the approximate rate of
population change per year. One can then discuss the conclusions drawn with service providers
for the area e.g. electricity and water suppliers.
Spatial planning helps us isolate variations in land utilization which helps identify current
infrastructural needs of a given area (Williams, 2017, p. 244) to notice land use variations one
needs to consider the current land uses of the area and then use his/her judgement to tentatively
identify places where the use of land has changed e.g. from a farming area to erecting of business
premises.
Spatial planning assists in identifying in identifying crucial changes in the economy (Mitsuhiko
Kawakami, 2013); one needs to obtain the opinions of local business operators through their
associations and come up with an estimate of the rate at which the economy is currently growing.
A recent economic boom could cause a rise in in-migrations and a reduction in out-migrations
causing rapid population growth, while a recent economic slump will result to an increase in out-
migrations and a decrease in in-migrations resulting to slow population growth rates. Such
information can help local authorities in decision making regarding infrastructure placements.

Spatial planning tends to provide a picture of the overall local wealth of the area, this
information can be useful when providing approximates of the needs of individuals that are to be
served by public goods as well as their capacity to pay the costs arising from the use of those
public facilities (University of Malta, 2016).
Conclusion
The process of spatial planning is the best to ensure controlling of development and ensuring that
it is healthy while promoting healthy ecological and sustainable biodiversity. On my point of
view it is special planning has a major part to contribute which should not be ignored when it
comes to decision making concerning infrastructure. Spatial planning is seen to be the most
important process especially during this time when there are many cities coming up.
References
Mitsuhiko Kawakami, Z.-j. S.-t.-l. (2013). Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development:
Approaches for Achieving Sustainable Urban Form in Asian Cities. Corolado: Springer
Science & Business Media.
Pier Carlo Palermo, D. P. (2010). Spatial Planning and Urban Development: Critical
Perspectives. Cleaveland: Springer Science & Business Media.
Pinto, N. N. (2013). Technologies for Urban and Spatial Planning: Virtual Cities and
Territories: Virtual Cities and Territories. Manchester: IGI Global.
University of Malta. (2016, September 4). Spatial Planning and Infrastructure. Retrieved April
16, 2019, from https://www.um.edu.mt/ben/spatialplan:
https://www.um.edu.mt/ben/spatialplan

Williams, K. (2017). Spatial Planning, Urban Form and Sustainable Transport. Brookes: Taylor
& Francis.